Safety-stirrup.



R. L. HUNT.

' ISAFETY STIRRUP. APPLICATION FILED 00T.1 1912.

Patented Jan. 14, 1913.

MEG 05 actor/nu;

lUNfTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RAYMOND L. HUNT, OF CAMBRIDGE, IDAHO, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO HENRY WILLIS LYONS, OF CAMBRIDGE, IDAHO.

SAFETY-STIRRUP.

restless.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RAYMOND L. HUNT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cambridge, in the county of Vashington and State of Idaho, have invented new and useful Improvements in Safety-St-irrups, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in stirrups.

In carrying out my invention it is my purpose to provide a stirrup which has simple and effective means for securely retaining the same upon a stirrup strap iron, but which may be operated by the foot of the rider, when his mount becomes unmanageable, to disconnect the stirrup from the strap.

With the above object in view, and others which will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the improvement resides in the construction, combination, and operative arrangement of parts set forth in the following description and falling within the scope of the appended claim.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a stirrup constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a de-- tail vertical sectional view taken approximately upon the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal view upon the line 33 of Fig. 2, and illustrating the position of the parts when the stirrup, is to be released from the stirrup strap.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the numeral 1 designates a stirrup support ing strap which is attached to a riding saddle in the usual manner. The strap, in the present instance has its lower end connected with what I will term, a strap iron 2. The strap iron 2, in the present instance is in the form of an arched member, and has its opposite sides or arms formed with offse lips or lugs 3.

The numeral 4 designates a stirrup of any desired or preferred construction. However, and as shown in the figures of the drawing, the stirrup is formed of wood, and its side members adjacent their tops are provided with metallic housings 5. Each of these housings is of a similar construction, each being provided with an open top and having both its inner and its outer face formed with a vertical cut-away port-ion or slit, and the said housing is provided with a transverse wall 6, which is arranged di- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 1, 1912.

Patented Jan. 14, 1913.

Serial No. 723,390.

rectly opposite one of the edges provided by the said slit, and the purpose of this wall will presently be set forth. Each of the housings 5, above the ends of the stirrup, is provided upon its opposite sides with registering openings 7, through which pass the side arms 8 of a slidable or trip member 9. The outer extremities of the arms 8 at one of their ends are formed with offset members or stops 10, while the opposite ends of the arms are provided with a transverse connecting member 11 which is formed with a down-turned portion or lip 12 that is adapted to serve as a contact for the toe of the rider for sliding the trip member 9 upon its hearings in the housings, and for a purpose which will also be fully set forth. Surrounding the arms 8 between the connecting member 11, and one of each of the housings are spring members 13 and 14. These springs exert an outward tension so as to force the connecting member and lip of the trip to a suitable distance away from the sides of the housings, and to bring the stops 10 into engagement with the opposite sides of the housings. The portions of the arms 8 disposed within the housings are each provided with a rectangular bent portion or depression 15, which, through the medium of the springs 13 and 14, is normally retained between the longitudinal walls of the housings beyond the openings 7 The numeral 16 designates a connecting plate or bar for the housings, and which also sustains the side arms of the stirrup in a proper spaced relation with each other.

In arranging the iron upon the stirrup, a tension is exerted upon the trip member 9 to bring its rectangular depression or bent portion 15 into register with the openings 7, when the side members of the strap iron are arranged between the openings. It will be noted that the movement of the arms of the trip member in this direction is limited by the walls 6. When the iron is properly positioned, pressure upon the trip member is released and the lugs 3 of the said iron are engaged beneath the straightened portions of the arms 8 beyond the bent or depressed portions 16, the springs 13 and 14 retaining the members in this position. Should, however, the animal to which the saddle and stirrup is attached become unmanageable, it is merely necessary for the rider to swing his toe into engagement with the lip 12 which action will force the side arms 8 of the trip member to slide within the housings against the tension of the spring, and to bring their bent or rectangular offset members to within the openings 7, which will free the lugs 3 from their engagement with the said side arms and permit the rider and stirrup dropping to the ground, and thus prevent the rider being dragged upon the ground and injured.

From the above description, taken in conneetion with the drawing, the simplicity of the device, as well as the advantages thereof, will, it is thought, be perfectly apparent to those skilled in the art to which such inventions appertain without further detailed description.

Having thus described the invention,what I claim is In a safety stirrup, a strap iron embodying an arched member having its opposite arms provided with lugs, a stirrup having its arms provided with housings which are centrally formed with transversely arranged openings at the open tops thereof, a trip member embodying a substantially U- shaped element having its side arms passing through openings in the housing, the free ends of the said members being headed to provide stops, the housings being also pro vided with a wall which is arranged adjacent one of the edges provided by each of the openings, the side arms of the trip member being provided with substantially rectangular bent portions, springs upon the arms and exerting a tension between the housings and the connecting member of the trip member for sustaining the bent portions of the arms away from the openings of the housings, and the arms of the strap iron A adapted to be arranged within the openings of the housings and to be normally engaged by the straightened portions of the side arms of the trip member.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RAYMOND L. HUNT. \Vitnesses:

HENRY J. DEVANEY, DELTON L. CARTER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

